Just Needling You

/ roughwighting

acupuncture, needles“It’s only after I’ve given the matter some thought that I decide to take the man up on his offer.

A quid pro quo, so to speak – I help him out, and he’ll help me out.

The only problem is that I don’t need any help. Or at least not his kind.

I’m a published writer, so I promise to give him tips on how to find the right publisher for the book he’s writing on “the zen of wellness.” That’s my title for his book, I think his is more esoteric.

Whatever, I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with this fascinating man. He’s slight, middle-aged, with brown-speckled-with-gray hair pulled into a small ponytail. His crystal light eyes seem to see way beyond my own eyes. He peers further inside.

Which perhaps is why I’m hesitant to let him practice his trade on me:

David is an acupuncturist.

I was acupuncted (my attempt at humor for a practice I don’t understand) once before. I attended a clinic in which a woman placed tiny needles all over my body, including in my ears and through my eyebrows. I relaxed on the blanketed floor and almost fell asleep until 45 minutes later, she pulled the needles out. Skeptically, I listened to her explain to me that I might want to lay low the rest of the day.

Instead, I raced home and washed windows, wrote a short story, walked the dog for an hour, and cooked a never-attempted-before dinner of pasta, spinach and jack cheese. Which tasted like a Julia Child creation.

I ran, not walked, the next day to the acupuncturist and exclaimed: “I had more energy yesterday afternoon and evening than I’ve had since I was 20.” I thought by saying this true statement, I was debunking her practice.burst of energy, dancing, acupuncture

Instead, she smiled and said, “Wonderful. For some, acupuncture relaxes them into a near-stupor. For others, they experience miraculous bursts of energy.”

Oh. Well, to be honest, I could use an hour of acupuncture every day then, I thought rather ruefully.

That was three years ago.

acupuncture, needles in feet, And now I’m on David’s table with needles in my wrist and ankles, forehead and palms, and trying to relax. But I’m immersed with a sense of foreshadowing; somehow, I realize that I’ll not be the same after I leave his office.

I soon discover that acupuncture opens up more than our physical energy.

But that’s another story.

Thanks to Google Images.

 

93 thoughts on “Just Needling You”

  1. It is miraculous and can’t wait to see what the ‘other story’ is after the visit to David. Acupuncture was the only treatment that helped after eight months of agony with my two slipped discs in my back. I hobbled into the room terrible pain, I walked out with an ache…many more sessions later and I was almost pain-free.I love the sound of your burst of energy after your first go!!

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    • I’d heard how acupuncture can help with physical pain, and then studied up more regarding how it can open us up energetically also. I’m a believer! Thanks for sharing your experience with acupuncture.

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  2. Acupuncture is great and can help many things other than pain. I’m glad you have something that will help. But a burst of energy? If I knew that would happen to me I’d find one in my town and make a bee line.

    I’ve had acupuncture in the past but no treatments since the man retired about 10 or 12 years ago. It made me feel more energetic and it helped me sleep a non-restless night.

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    • Perhaps it’s time for you to find another acupuncturist! I have ‘young’ friends who ‘tune themselves up’ monthly with acupuncture. With the testimonials I’m reading here, I think that’s making lots of sense.

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    • I think acupuncture is a ‘hidden’ medical miracle that many people don’t talk about. I wonder why? So many success stories about relief from pain when western medicine couldn’t help. Wonder if you’ll try it sometime?

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  4. I am considering it for a chronic problem. It’s sort of scary, but what the heck. At least I’ll be able to add it to my bucket list.

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    • After hearing so many great stories from my readers here, as well as through friends and associates, I’m going to urge you to try it Karen. It truly can’t ‘hurt,’ literally or figuratively.

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    • I know of several people who had success with acupuncture as an adjunct to their surgery, before and after. As far as the energy? I’m thinking with the right acupuncturist, our energy AND creativity could be positively influenced…!! But then again, wait until you read ‘the rest of the story’ next week. :-0

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  6. I’ve never been acupuncted. The other people who stick needles into me every fortnight don’t approve of it. At least, they ask me if I’ve been tattooed, pierced or acupuncted in the past week before they’ll let me let them stick a hole in my arm so I don’t risk it.

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    • I totally agree. Insurance should cover prevention instead of waiting until you need a 100,000 dollar surgery. I use orthopedic massage, chiropractic and have used acupuncture in the past. As a result I have stayed away from the knife while all my friends have had back, hip and rotator cuff surgery. Acupuncture gave my dog ten more years of life when the vets had given up on him. Don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it as part of your health program.

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      • Thanks for weighing in here, Glenda. I appreciate your encouragement to use acupuncture as a part of a health program. David, who I mention here as the acupuncturist I visited, loves to work with dogs, and has talked about how they just lay still and relax while he works with them!

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        • My husband watched our veterinarian who studied in the far East, do surgery on a dog that was not anesthetized. The dog only had acupuncture that kept her still and with no pain while he opened her up and removed a tumor. When you see a dog respond like that, you have to believe there is something extraordinary going on.

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          • Absolutely! The dog didn’t know to be afraid, so he/she handled the acupuncture/surgery with ease. We humans let our fears get in the way of alternative, non-invasive procedures to keep us healthy.

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    • I’m so impressed, Paula. At the studio where I dance and practice yoga, Tai Chi and Qui Gong are offered, but I’ve never tried them. I will now. I wonder in what way you’ve found acupuncture helpful?

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  9. How can you leave us like that? I mean, REALLY!?! You are a born story-teller. I think there is a difference between a story-teller and a writer, although that could possibly be wrong since this is the first cup of coffee. My daughter has “enjoyed” the needles with varying “results”, but not yet this scaredy-cat. 🙂

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    • What has your daughter used acupuncture for? Wait til you read ‘the rest of the story’ next Friday. You might decide to not be a scaredy-cat, OR you may beg your daughter to never go again. 🙂
      I think a good writer should be a good story-teller, and vice versa.
      xo

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  10. It and cranial sacral changed my life…or maybe it was the hands of the young woman doing it….either way it worked for me! Seriously though she was the one who got me writing…a good friend now…she asks the world to not hold it against her!

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    • Please explain to me what cranial sacral is! It sounds…interesting. And if it helps with our writing, I’m all for it! (Plus, you got a great friend out of these alternative forms of medicine; you, writing, is a blessing!

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      • This is how my physio friend describes cranial sacral therapy… ‘CST is an incredibly gentle form of treatment that involves the use of light touch on the body to relieve tension and discomfort. By gently applying light pressure to certain areas of the body, including the head and tail bone, the body is able to release restrictions that can prevent normal movement and function. CST is so gentle it is often used on babies to alleviate problems such as colic and other digestion issues. By releasing the tight restrictions in the body, the Sympathetic or “Fight Flight” nervous system is able to calm down, giving the body a tremendous sense of relaxation. It is therefore incredibly effective in the treatment of stress and anxiety.’

        You need an open mind and I guess something to be released/re-balanced to feel the benefit…all I can say…I find CST very relaxing…same goes for acupuncture…I’ve been known to have both sequentially. Apparently I’m quite well balanced nowadays…for a man!

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  12. Acupuncture never gave me a burst of energy and I don’t know if it ever helped. I should give it another try . As usual , this is a wonderful story and I can’t wait until next week.

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    • I imagine there’s a lot of acupuncture (and acupunct-ing) in your area. I’ve had a couple of different reactions to it (stay tuned to next week) and the jury’s still out a bit for me.

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  13. It’s nice to see acupuncture be more accepted in Western medicine. There are studies to support its effectiveness. I’m all about the science. Show me something works and doesn’t cause harm, and it gets added to the consideration pile. Lovely to hear it gave you a boost.

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    • A measured response from you, Dr. Rubin. My guy is an engineer and he is quite a skeptic. B U T, I tend to think that Western medicine gets too stilted and stifled by not looking into all modalities. The more I read about the benefits of modalities like meditation, yoga, the relaxation response, acupuncture, etc., the more I realize I have a lot to learn…and that growing awareness can only help.

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    • Yes, the needles are really a non-issue. Getting a flu shot is totally different than the tiny needles that are used for acupuncture (and really, you don’t feel a thing!). I’m trying to keep my mind (and energy channels) open. 🙂

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  18. Hmmm. . .so what else did it open? 🙂
    My daughter has been getting acupuncture to see if it will help with weird symptoms from lupus. So far she likes it–not sure if it’s actually helping yet.

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    • Interesting. I hope your daughter gets results. I imagine that just like finding the right doctor, we need to find the right acupuncturist for our symptoms. I know that people like acupuncture if for nothing other than it can be quite relaxing.

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  19. I have never done acupuncture, but I have always wanted to try it. I just can’t think of any legitimate reason to go! (yet) 😉
    I’m not fond of needles (most people aren’t), but I think I could tolerate acupuncture. I know it works because I know too many people who have used it successfully. I’m afraid I would like it TOO much and want it every day!! ha ha!! 😀

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    • You’re so funny, Courtney. Check out my follow-up story next Friday, then you may decide you have another reason to try out acupuncture…or NOT. But yes, I know friends who are ‘hooked’ on acupuncture because they do think it helps their energy/creativity.

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  20. I’m so glad you are writing about acupuncture. I have had it many times. The first series was to heal an injured ankle. I wound up with energy, like you wrote about. The ankle did fine, too, but it was this energy that was so memorable. Like I could conquer the world. I considered acupuncture once for my greyhound; yup, there’s a vet up here that’ll do it on your dog. Wonder how they get them to lie still.

    Eager to read the next installment. You’ve got me hooked.

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    • I really appreciate you sharing your success with acupuncture. I think obtaining released ‘energy’ from the practice is reason enough to try it, for sure. David the acupuncturist I mention here loves using acupuncture with pets – he says the dogs somehow know it’s relaxing, and they don’t move on the table. Amazing!

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    • As a writer, I LOVE ‘having my way’ with readers. With or without the help of needles – tee hee. Hang on tight for next Friday’s needling installment…

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  26. Well that sounds like a cool experience! I tried it a few times to help diminish my allergies and really didn’t get any type of results from it but it was a different experience. I say whatever works to help creativity is a good thing.

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  27. Loved your humorous adventure with acupuncture and can’t wait to hear what happened after David’s treatment. My daughter is a Chinese Medicine Practioner, so she does a lot of acupuncture for work. I find it thoroughly relaxing, which is great, but that burst of energy sounds wonderful!

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      • It is magnificent, but she doesn’t do it around here. Just like all the outlets that don’t work in my house because I’m married to an electrician. I will ask her. I’m curious as well. 🙂

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      • What a fun post! The burst of energy…It all depends on the points and combination of points. In the simplest explanation, activatation of yang qi! I’m a student of classical Chinese medicine 🙂

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        • I’d love your opinion Malerie on the other thing that can happen when I have acupuncture (just happened last week). The needling was fine, and then David did some ‘energy work,’ he called it, where he held my head and breathed in, and had me breathe in also. After the session, I was rather nauseated and light-headed and felt quite ‘off balance.’ Took a number of days to feel centered again. Yikes. Is this normal??

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  28. I have thought about doing this for years but never went through with it. Do you feel the needles at all? Do you go for pain or just for a tuneup? How did you find a good one?

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    • No pain. I went for a ‘tune up,’ not knowing I needed one! More on the results of THAT next week. Your last question is interesting – I think word-of-mouth would be the best way to find a good acupuncturist.

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  30. I used to work in an OB/Gyn office, and there was an acupuncturist there who offered a free visit to all the staff so that we could help sell her services to potential patients. I didn’t like the hot light bulb; it burned my skin. It was also hard for me to sit still for so long. My muscles would cramp up, but moving the slightest bit, just to ease the tension in my joints, really hurt as the needles pulled at my skin. So, for me, not a great experience. But I’ve heard wonderful things about it. Glad to hear it’s worked for you!

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    • Huh, never heard of the ‘hot light bulb’ – I’ll ask about that next time I see ‘David.’ Interesting service at the OB/Gyn office! I did go to a dentist who offered Reiki. I guess some patients will try anything to relax!

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  32. My sister-in-law tried acupuncture as a last resort for the pain in her knee. It worked! She is still amazed. I’ve never tried it but have a mind to if something develops that might be helped by it. Looking forward to reading the other story!

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  35. This is definitely one of those things that requires a tremendous amount of faith in getting over that initial fear, anxiety, or apprehension. And although I have never tried it, I am very curious to see where this story travels to next. You have an amazing way, Pamela, of leaving us on the edge of our seats for the next offering! I’ll try to make sure I don’t fall off while I’m waiting 😉

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    • What a ‘sharp’ thing to say, Dave. 🙂 I’m working on my follow-up story to this one – will post it in a week, since I decided I need to address Mother’s Day tomorrow. I LOVE having you stop by. P.S. Really, there’s no fear needed re acupuncture – you don’t feel a thing. Really!

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  38. I recently did acupuncture, too! And it was amazing how good I felt afterward, although I was one of the briefly semi-comatose. I felt marvelous the next day when I shook the sleep out of my eyes.

    And it helped my aching feet, too, which was the reason I went. Incredible! 🙂

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